CA1329097C - Package for compact disc - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A cardboard package blank for a mini-compact disc and having a first panel having an opening for receiving a mini-compact disc, a second panel having a width less than the first panel, and joined along an edge of the first panel, a third panel having a width less than the width of the second panel, and joined along an edge of the second panel, and a fourth panel having a width no greater than the width of the first panel, and joined along another edge of the first panel. Also disclosed is a package consisting of a cardboard package blank as described, and containing a mini-compact disc, and a transparent wrapping film enclosing it.

Description

~ 3 ~ 7 The invention relates to packaging, and in particular to packaging for relatively small thin articles which are difficult to display in a secure marlner.
BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
In the music industry, for example, the packaging of relatively small thin articles such as recorded tapes, compact discs and the like, presents a variety of problems.
1~ Similar problems arise in the packaging of other small thin articles, and the invention is not, therefore, eonfined solely to the pac~aging of, for example, tapes and compact discs.
In the particular case of compact discs, the size of the compact discs has bsen dramatically reduced in recent ~, yeaxs, to the point where they may now be in the region of only three inches in diame-ter. In retail stores, it is ~., desirable to display discs in relatively large numbers so that purchasers can sort through the discs on display and make their own selection. In order to do this, they may '' wish to extract the disc from the display, and read the information on the label and then return it.
In the past, in the case o~ long playing phono~raph ; records for example, this has not presented any problem.
The record was contained in a recorrl sleeve, and the record itself was o~ a relatively lar~e diameter. Pilfering of such records, or damage to such records in the display, while not being unknown was relatively rare.
However, in the case of compact discs and in the i~ 30 particular case o~ tha current socalled "mini compact ~ discs", the problem of display, pilfering, and possible ., .
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damage, becomes much more difficult to control. ~iscs which are only three inches or so in diameter may require a relatively large amount of infoxmation and ~raphics, in order to inform the purchaser o the contents of the disc.
It is not practical to print all of this information on the disc itself. If the disc is simply packaged in a sleeve the size o~ the disc, i.e.. about three inches or so in diameter, then the package and its contents make an obvious target for shoplifters, and may also su~far some degrae of 1~ damage during examination by purchasers.
Somewhat similar considerations apply to the retailing of recorded tapes. These are also relatively small thin articles. For some years it has been the practlce to package these tapes in elongated packages, which ware able to pro~ide a sati,~actory form of display.
An adequate amount of space was provided ~or the printing of ~raphics and information, and the packages were ~enerally speaking too large for shop lifters to remove.
In the particular case of th~ packaging of compact discs, varicus attempts have been made to produce an oversized elongated package for supporting and pro-tecting the compact disc during display, providing adequate space for the printing of graphics and information, and discoura~ing shoplifters. In some cases, the approach has been to provide a rectangular ~orm of box, with front and back panels and side walls. This~ however~ produces a package which is somewhat costly~ and which also takes up more space in the display than is warrantad by the thickness of the compact disc itself. In other cases, attempts haYe been made $o package such compact discs on ~32~9~

thinner packages. However, it i5 generally desirable in the industry to provide a shrink wrapping of traNsparent plastic ~ilm around the package and the disc for security purposes and to provide durability in the retail display.
;~ Shr,ink wrapping produces relatively substantial stresses on the package around which the film is shrunk. Unless the ' package has a certain inherent rigidity, the package itsel~
will warp and will, therefore, be unacceptable.
; A further problem has been the provision of some ~orm of storage sleeve ~or the compact disc after it has been purchased. It is generally accepted that compact discs can be stored and handled and used over extended periods of time with very little risk of damage or loss o~ fidelity, However, consumersS in general, are not fully aware of , this. Consumers having experience with phonograph records,~ and tapes ha~e been conditioned to the needs for exercising !,; great care in handling and storage of such records and tapes, and generally speaking assume that the same care i5 required in the case of compact discs.
!'' 20 It is, therefore~ generally considered desirable in ~:, the industry to provide some ~orm of sleeve or ~iackst in :'`, which compact discs a~ter their purchase can be stored by the consumer. One advantage of providing such a sleeve or jacket is that graphics and information can be printed on ~' the sleeve, so that when the consumer stores the disc in ',~ the sleeve, it is easier for him to sort through the :,' sl~eves and select a particular disc which he wishes to .. ' play.
.~ Accordingly~ it is desirable if the package in which '~ 30 the compact disc is displayed and retailed can also be , A
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'', ~32~7 utilized to provide a jacke$ in which the compact disc can be stored by $he consumer in his library.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INYENTION
With a view to solving these various conflictin~
problems, the invention comprises a package for a small thin article which, in turn, comprises a front panel having an opening therain for receivin~ such article ~nd having parallel side edges spaced apart a predetermined ~irst distance, a rear panel having parallel side edges spaced apart a predetermined fourth distance, no greater than said ~irst distance, and integrally formed along an edge of said ~ront panel, a rear intermediate pansl having side edges spaccd apart from one another a predetermined thixd distance less than said first distance, and bonded to said rear panel, and, a front intermediate panel having side edges spaced apart a predetermined third distance less than said second distance, and bonded to said front panel, and ; to said rear intermedia-te panel.
More particularly, it is an objective of the inventicn to provide a package having the oregoing advantages ~ormad of cardboard material coated on one side, and uncoa-ted on the othe~ side, and whereby said front intermediate panel i5 bonded to said front panel, with sai~
coated side o~ said front intermediate panel registering !, with said opening in said front panel.
More particularly, it is an objective of the invention to proYide a package having the foregoing advantages and further including a thin article located within said openingl and transparent plastic ~ilm wrappad around ~aid package and said artlcle.

~ ore particularly, it is an ob,iective of -the invention to provide a package having the foregoin~
advantages and wherein creases are formed between said front panel and said rear panel and between said front panel and said rear in-termediate panel and said front intermediate pan~l~ and including scoring lines formed along sald creases, and having a length less than the length of said creases, whereby to leave portions of said package free of scoring at each end of each said crease.
It is a further and related objective of the invention to provide a blank of cardboard material definlng front and rear panels. and rear intermediate and front intermediate panels, having the characteristics described above.
It is a fuxther and related objective of the invention to provide a package having tha -foregoing advantages and wherein said opening is formed in upper region of said ~ront panel, and including lower portions o~

at least two of said ~anel, being bonded together and ~orming a sleeve available for storage of said thin article therein.
It is a further and related objective of the invention to provide a package of the type described, and wherein a portion of the package is formed and glued in such a way, as to provide a storage sleeve for the disc.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a bet-ter understanding o-f the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects at-tained by .-:13 2 ~

its use, refererlce should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are --illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
. IN THE DRAWINGS
Z Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a package in accordanae with the invention showing a compact disc contained thereln;
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F~gure 2 is an elev~tional view of a cardboard package blank for a package in accordance with the invention showing the package blank in its flat unfolded . configuration;
Figure 3 is a top plan view when taken as indicated by the arrows 3-~ o~ Flgure ~ illustrating the manner in which -the package blank shown in Figure 1 is progressivel~
~, -folded and glued into its final con~iguration;
~, Figure 4 is an enlar~ed front viaw of that portion of the package blank of Figure 2 indicated by the circle 4;
Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view along line 0 5-5 of Flgure 1 through a package in accordance with the , invention and showing such package having a mini-compact ,~` disc mounted therein and shrink wrapped in a plastlc film;
.'. Fi~ure 6 is an elevational view of a pa~kage blank in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention, ~'' lncorporating a sleeve for stora~e of the disc, after ~I purchas2, and, ` Figure 7 is an elevational view o~ the r~verse side of the blank of Figure 6.
ESCRIPTIO~ OF THE PREFERRED EMBOD~NTS
Referring flrst of all to Figure 1, it will be seen i ",~
:, . 6 t /' ' ~ 3 ~ 7 that the invention is illustrated therein in the form of a packa~e illustrat~d generally as 6, having a a mini-compact disc indicated as ~ enclosed in a transparent form of plastic shrink wrapping material P enclosing both the package and the disc.
The package blank, is generally indicated as B in Figure 2 and comprises a single rectangular piece of cardboard having upper and lower ed~es 7 and 8 respectively and a smooth coa-ted ou-ter surface 9 (Figure 3) and an uncoated inner surface 10. The blank B comprises four integrally ~ormed rectangular panels, namely first panel 12, second panel 14, third panel 16, and fourth panel 18, all having the same length indicated by the legend "L".
The panels 12, 14, 16 and 18 have le~t-hand edges indicated by the legends 21, 23, 25 and 27 respectively and right-hand edges indicated by the le~ends 22, ~4, 26 and 28 respectively.
Along the ad~iacent edges of the panels 12, 14, 16 and 18, the cardboard is scored or partially cut (Figure 4) to provide ~old creases allowing ~olding of the panels relative to each other in a manner which will be understood as the description herein proceeds.
More particularly, it will be noted that a fold crease 30 is Provided between the right-hand edge ~2 of panel 12 and the left-hand edge 23 of panel 14. A fold crease 32 is similarl~ provided between the right-hand edge 24 of panel 14 and the left-hand edge 25 of the panel 16. A
`l Pold crease 34 is provided between the right-hand edge 28 of panel 18 and the left-hand edge 21 of panel 12. It will be noted that the right-hand edge 26 of pan~l 16 and the _7_ 1 32~Q) ~

left-hand edge 27 of panel 18 constitute free side ed~es of the blank B.
It will be seen from Figures 2 and 4 that, in accordance with a preferred feature of -thls invention, the aforementioned scoring terminates inwardly of the upper and lower edges 7 and 8 respectively of the blank B. This provides additional strength to the final package.
A generally circular openin~ 42 having the same size as a mini-compact disc D lFigures 1 and ~) to be housed in the package, is provided in an appropriate position in the first or front panel 12. Two inkegrally formed tabs 44 are le~t to assist in positioning such a mini-compact disc in position in the opening 42.
In order to permit the blank B to be folded into its inal configuration, certain crit.ical relationships exist between the widths o~ the panels 12, 14, 16 and 18. Such i widths are indicated by the legencls W1, W2, W3 and W4 respectively in Figure 2. Before considering these relationships in more detail herein, the manner in which the blank B is folded into its ~inal configuration will ~irst be explained with re~erencs to Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings. For convenience. panel 12, i.e., the upp0rmost panel in Figure 5 wlll hereinaPter be referred to as the ` "~ront" panel of the final package while panel 18, i.e., ; the lowermost panel in Figure 5, will be referred to as the "rear" panel of the final package.
In the procedure sh~wn in Figure 3, the panel 14 is glued as at G1, and panel 16 is ~olded along ~old crease 32 as indicated by the arrow F1 so that it directly overlies ~' 30 panel 14. The front or coated side 9 o~ panel 1~ is then ';

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glued as at G2 (Figure 3). ~he :panel 14 is then folded along crease fold 30 as indicated by the arrow F2 until it directly underlies front panel 12. The coated side 5 of : panel 14 is then glued as at G3, and panel 18 is folded along crease fold 34 as indicated by the arrow F3 until it directly underlies panel 14. After such folding is complete, the several panels will have the relatlve positions shown in Figure 5.
Thus, when glued and folded, the package will be seen to compxise a front panel 12, a rear p~nel 18, and a rearward intermediate panel 14, and a forward intermediate panel 16.
By folding the blank B in this manner, the surface visible to a consumer through the opening 42 when the package is opened and the disc D removed therefrom will be the smooth coated outer surface 9 of panel 16. This ls particularly advantageous in that it presents to such a consumer a quality appearance while avoiding the additional cost of using a blank formed of cardboard which i5 coatsd on both sur~aces.
To permit the panels to be folded in the manner already described, ths wid-th W3 of panel 16 should be 18ss than the width W2 of panel 14, the width W2 of panel 14 : must be lcss than the width W1 of front panel 12, and ths width W4 of rear panel 18 must be no greater than the width W1 of ~ront pansl 12. It will thus be understood that the front panel 12 will determine the final width of the folded packa~e.
The differences between the widths of the various panels will depend on the thickness of the cardboard from _g_ o ~ ~

which the blank is formcd. In practice, it has been ~ound that when using cardboard having a thickness of about one sixty-fourth o~ an inch, satisfactory results have been obtained when the differences between the respective ones o~ each o~ the following pairs of widths W2, W1 and W3, W2 is between two and eight times the thickness of the card, i.e., between one thirty-second and one eighth of an inch.
Similarly, the width W4 will be be-tween a value equal to the width W1 o~ the front panel 12 and a value greater than the width W1 minus four times the thickness of the card.
Having glued and ~olded the blank B in the manner hereinbefore described. the disc D is positioned in the opening 42 in the ~ront panel 12 so that it is partly disposed behind the tabs 44. These serve to retain the disc in -the correct position during the remainder of the packagin~ operation. The package with a disc D so positioned therein is then shrink-wrapped in a plastic ~ilm P. It has been ~ound that a package as hereinbef ore described and having four separate overlying layers or panels o~ wldths within the a~orementioned limits has suf~ici~nt strength to resist warping or bending during such shrink wrapping opera-tion.
Re~erence will now be made to Figures 6 and 7 in which there is illustrated an alternate embodiment o~ this invention.
In Figure 6, a modifled blank B i~ formed with a generally transverse per~oration line 50, extending transversely across panels 18 and 12l and a lon~itudinal perForation line 51 extending down a marginal portion o~
panel 12 par~llel to crease 22. Per~oration lines 50 and .
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~ 3 ~ 7 ~1 de~ine a removable rectangular portion 52, which in the manner to be descri~ed below, can be removed and discarded, and leaving a marginal portion 53 attached to panel 12.
The remainder of the blank B is assentially the same as described in the embodiment of Figures 1 and ~. However, the arrangement of the glue lines G is significantly different.
.; In this embodiment, two glue lines GlOa are applied : to the reverse or uncoated side 10 of panQl 14. In addition two glue dots GlOb are applied to the lower region o~ panel 14 as indicated in Figure 6. It wlll be no-ted that the glue lines GlOa terminate in an area which is short o~ an imaginary line L extending from the perforations 50, and the glue dots GlOb are located at the lowermost extremity o~ the panel 14.
As shown in Figure 7 J the rlemaining glue lines are applied to the ~ront or coated ~ace 9. Thus, glue lines Glla are applied to the ~ront or coated face o~ the panel ~? 16, and terminat~ at a point shor-t of the imaginarY line L.
A ~urther glue line ~llb is applied along the outer free edge o~ the panel 16, ~or reasons to be described below.
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.h Glue lines G12 are applied to panel 14, and a~ain terminate short o~ the imaginary line L.
It will be appreciated that the panels in this blank -~ are ~olded in exactly the same manner as ill~strated in ; Figure 3. When so folded, the glue lines GlOa and the glue dots ~lOb will bond the panel 16 to the panel 14 in the region of -the glue line GlOa and dots GlOb, and leave it free of bonding in the remaining area.
When the glue lines Glla and ~llb are bonded -to the ., -11-~ 3 ~

reverse or uncoated side 10 of the panel 12, they will bond the upper portion of panel 16 to the upper portion of panel 12, i.e., that portion above perforation line 50. At the lower portion o~ panels 16 and 12, they will be bonded only in the region o~ the glue line Gllb, which corresponds to -the marginal portion 5~ of panel 12 adjacent the perforation line 51.
The ~lue lines ~12 also terminate short o~ the line extending from the per~orations 50. When panel 18 is folded over panel 14~ in the manner shown in Figure 3, the glue lines ~12 will thus bond the panel 18 to the panel 14 only in the region o~ the glue lines G12, leavin~ the lower portion fre~.
The package will be printed with suitable in tructions lnot shown) to -tear -the portion ~2 along the per~orations 50 and 51 and discard it. Whan the consumer has done this, he will then ~ind printed underneath instructions (not shown~ to obtain a pair of scissors, and to cut panels 14 and 16 along an extension o~ the per~oration line SO, i.e., the imaginary line L. When he does this, he will then obtain a sleeve, suitable for the storage o~ the compact disc, the sleeve consisting o~ the :
lower portions o~ the panels 14 and 16, and marginal ,~ portion ~3, bonded together by the glue lines G11b and dots GlOb. The lower portions of one or both o the panels 14 j and 16 will be ~rinted with suitable graphics and in~ormation (not shown) describing the contents o~ the ~, disc. In this way, the consumer will be provided with a simple form o~ storage sleeve which both protects the compact disc and also provides him with in~ormation , .

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concerning its contents.
It will be seen that the present invention provides a package blank for mini-compact discs and which blank can be folded and shrink-wrapped to provide a package which will resist bending during the shrink-wrapping operation. The optional additional provision of a portion which can be used to provide a disc-storage sleeve is also ad~antageous.
The foregoing is a description of preferred embodiments of the invention which is given here by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific features as described bu-t comprehends all such variations thereof as come within the scope o~ the sppended olaims.

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Claims (8)

1. A cardboard package for a mini-compact disc and which package blank is formed from a sheet of card having a coated surface and an uncoated surface and which comprises:
a first panel having a generally circular opening therein for receiving such a mini-compact disc and having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined first distance;
a second panel having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined second distance less than said first distance and integrally formed along said first edge thereof with said first panel along said second edge thereof and scored therealong to provide a first fold crease;
a third panel having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined third distance less than said second distance and integrally formed along said first edge thereof with said second panel along said second edge thereof and scored therealong to provide a second fold crease, and, a fourth panel having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined fourth distance no greater than said first distance and integrally formed along said second edge thereof with said first panel along said first edge thereof and scored therealong to provide a third fold crease.

2. A cardboard package as claimed in Claim 1 and wherein said panels can be folded along each of said first, second and third fold creases to provide a package having a width equal to said first distance with said first panel comprising a front panel of said package, with one of said third panel directly underlying said first panel and with said fourth panel forming a rear panel of said package, the coated surfaces of said first and fourth panels then being exposed and the coated surfaces of second and third panels being visible through said circular opening, and said cardboard having such a thickness that, when said panels are folded in the specified manner, said package has sufficient rigidity to permit it to be shrink wrapped without bending in a plastic film.

3. A cardboard package as claimed in Claim 2, and including adhesive means bonding said second panel to the uncoated surface of said third panel, and including further adhesive means bonding the coated surface of said second panel to the uncoated surface of said first panel, and including further adhesive means bonding said fourth panel to the uncoated surface of said third panel.

4. A cardboard package is claimed in Claim 3, and wherein said first, second and third fold creases comprise score lines formed along said creases, said score lines terminating short of the upper and lower edges of said blank.

5. A cardboard package as claimed in Claim 3, and wherein said opening in said first panel has a predetermined diameter, less than the width of said first panel, and wherein said adhesive means bonding said third panel to said first panel register on either side of said opening, whereby to leave said opening free of adhesive.

6. A cardboard package as claimed in Claim 1, including a transverse line of perforations formed across lower portions of said first and fourth panels, and a longitudinal line of perforations formed along a marginal portion of said lower portion of said first panel, said lines of perforations forming a generally L-shape, and defining a disposable portion of said first and fourth panels, and including adhesive means bonding said marginal portion of said first panel to said third panel, and adhesive means bonding said second panel to said third panel along the lower edges thereof, and being otherwise free of adhesive therebetween in a lower portion thereof, whereby to define a pocket for reception of a mini-compact disc therein.

7. A cardboard package as claimed in Claim 1 including tab portions on said first panel extending into said generally circular opening for retention of a mini-compact disc therein during packing.

8. A cardboard package containing a mini-compact disc and which package is formed from a sheet of cardboard having a coated surface and an uncoated surface and which comprises:
a first panel having a generally circular opening therein for receiving such a mini-compact disc and having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined first distance;
a second panel having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined second distance less than said first distance and integrally formed along said first edge thereof with said first panel along said second edge thereof and scored therealong to provide a first crease;
a third panel having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined third distance less than said second distance and integrally formed along said first edge thereof with said second panel along said second edge thereof and scored therealong to provide a fold crease;
a fourth panel having mutually parallel first and second side edges spaced apart a predetermined fourth distance no greater than said first distance and integrally formed along said second edge thereof with said first panel along said first edge thereof and scored therealong to provide a fold crease;
means bonding said first, second, third and fourth panels together;
a mini-compact disc received in said generally circular opening, and, an exterior wrapping of transparent thermoplastic material enclosing said package and said mini-compact disc.